Almost everyone in Martin County has been involved in helping Sen. Joe Negron pass SB10 to send water south and save our river and the Everglades. The Stuart News pointed out that David won a great battle against Goliath, but it’s not over yet. Implementing SB10 in the next year will take as much effort as getting it passed.

Martin County residents made a big difference. They were passionate and educated. The Stuart News was no exception. It was unafraid and accurate in its reporting 

With their help we were able to answer Sugar’s repeated attacks that claimed the toxic algae was our own fault because we had septic tanks. We could point out that Martin County had the strictest limits on new septic systems and the best wetland protection in the state.

All that makes it hard to understand how our commissioners could possibly consider lessening restrictions on septic systems and giving up on enforcing policies that keep urban development from sprawling beyond the urban service district.

For more than 30 years all Martin County property owners lived with local rules limiting septic system flows to 2,000 gallons per day (GPD). There’s no reason to change that rule and allow extra-large, high-risk 5,000 gpd systems. 

It makes us look selfish and silly. As soon as we get hope for sending water south to clean up our river, we consider allowing more local pollution.

Simultaneously, some commissioners want to remove the rules requiring large-scale development to stay inside the urban service district where utilities and other urban services exist. This is exactly the way to wreck the Old Florida landscapes that Martin County has worked so hard to preserve.

Everyone should come to the Local Planning Agency meeting Thursday May 18 AND the county commission meeting Tuesday May 23. 

Let them know this is a very bad time to weaken environmental protections that have made Martin County different.